Circle of Fire

by Benjy Wertheimer

#1 NAV Chart, November 2002.

This drum CD from award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Benjy Wertheimer is an extraordinary dance journey through the music of many cultures around the world. The album's influences range from rock, funk and jazz to West African, Indonesian and Indian folk and classical traditions. Many moods are woven throughout the CD, inviting the dancers fully into their bodies and inspiring them to take themselves through the full spectrum of expressive movement.

Bio

A founding member of the internationally acclaimed
world fusion music ensemble, Ancient Future, Benjy has studied Indian classical
music for over 20 years with some of the greatest masters of that
tradition (including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan
and Z. M. Dagar). An award-winning songwriter, composer, vocalist,
and multi-instrumentalist (playing tabla, congas, percussion,
esraj, guitar, and keyboards), Benjy has toured the US, Canada,
and Japan with renowned bamboo flute master G.S. Sachdev and has
opened for such artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter, and Narada
Michael Walden. For over five years, Benjy scored music for the
internationally syndicated NBC series Santa Barbara. He has recorded
with numerous artists on such labels as A&M, Windham Hill, Narada,
Nippon Phonogram, Rounder and Global Pacific, and was a contributing
composer/member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience (along
with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead).

Review

"Benjy Wertheimer, noted master of Indian classical music, has
raised the bar of fusion music with his album, Circle of Fire.
Here is the integration of electronic with acoustic and music
that offers the desire to get up and dance with the need to take
stock of your self and your world. Benjy, formerly with the famed
Ancient Future band, has assembled a group of gifted artists perfect
for playing his music. Tim Ellis, Jeff Leonard and Randy Mead
bring a huge variety of western and eastern musical instruments
to express the true meaning of this multi-cultural love. And the
vocals by Heather Wertheimer and Jim Walker add the icing to this
musical melange cake. The meaning of these original compositions
is facilitated by tabla, congas, djembe, and esraj, as well as
drums (of many varieties), guitar, flute, keyboard and sax. The
result is a marriage of contemporary with historic in an inspiration
to bring cultures together. Indeed, Circle of Fire puts additional
meaning in the word, harmony. While Benjy Wertheimer has composed
and arranges this wonderful album of ambient music, he has also
given us songs that are involving and inspirational. And that
inspiration is to replace our cultural differences with cultural
similarities. Circle of Fire succeeds on every level, bringing
the listener a message of love. Circle of Fire, in this reviewers
opinion, offers a look at the future of music. Benjy Wertheimer,
who also gives us the Soul of the Esraj album, has a gift that
he shares with the world. Our world!" –Richard Fuller, Senior
Editor, Metaphysical Review